The Evolution and Manifestation of New Powers of Consciousness

Plato in the famous dialogues recounting the teaching of his mentor, Socrates, recounts the understanding that Socrates held that education was simply a recognition by the individual of what he already knows. The process of education was one of drawing out, removing the obstacles to the expression of the knowledge and not a matter of “stuffing in” that we consider to be education in today’s world. The Latin language root of the term education literally means to draw out, or to lead out, thus emphasizing the Socratic view. There are powers within each individual of which he may not be aware until they are brought to his attention, focused on and developed. Similarly some latent powers may simply need exercise and practice to blossom into their full potentiality.

Human development is not uniform. Individuals grow, mature and develop their powers within their own time frame and circumstances. Latent capacities sometimes manifest at various stages of life, and in some cases arise under pressure of situations and in response to some inner or outer crisis in the life. Thus, someone who shows no sign of any scientific, artistic, mathematical, spiritual or other powers of consciousness may suddenly blossom in a particular direction that in many cases was unforeseen and unexpected. In some cases a spiritual experience of some kind opens the doors to new powers which can then be cultivated and developed.

We already know that the human range of perception is limited within a specific scale of the electro-magnetic spectrum, such that there are sounds both below and above our current range as well as ranges of sight that are outside our range. For each of the senses, we have a corresponding limitation of our range which in some cases animals may experience. Dogs for instance have potential for the sense of smell and hearing that are beyond our range. Bees see things in a range outside ours as well. Consciousness is a continuum and is not artificially limited by our sensory limitations or our limitations of physical, vital or mental formations or processes. Thus, any expansion we make in our ability to tune to, perceive and receive consciousness from outside the current limited range represents an opportunity for a newly discovered occult power to work in us and manifest in our lives.

Sri Aurobindo notes: “Consciousness in its very nature could not be limited by the ordinary physical human-animal consciousness, it must have other ranges. Yogic or occult powers are no more supernatural or incredible than is supernatural or incredible the power to write a great poem or compose great music; few people can do it, as things are, — not even one in a million; for poetry and music come from the inner being and to write or to compose true and great things one has to have the passage clear between the outer mind and something in the inner being. That is why you got the poetic power as soon as you began yoga, — yogic force made the passage clear. It is the same with yogic consciousness and its powers; the thing is to get the passage clear, — for they are already within you. Of course, the first thing is to believe, aspire and, with the true urge within, make the endeavour.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Powers Within, Chapter XIX Occult Powers of the Subliminal, pp. 143-144